Yet the combination of total government control of handgun ownership, combined with the hands-off treatment of criminals has backfired. It must be embarrassing for British firearm-prohibitionists to see their philosophy failing in their own backyard, especially in view of their intense desire to export that philosophy to other nations around the globe.

We believe that the proponents of a gun-free society have developed a fear of hearing the truth, or alethephobia. In order to compensate for this common condition that plagues humanity, they have gone to great lengths, even to the extent of paying bonuses to their senior officers. Ann T. Hathaway, a blogger in the UK whose interest is a variety of topics, reported that officers are discouraged from detecting [solving] crimes during the last quarter of the year because senior officers are depending on their bonuses.

“They must not, under any circumstances, get out on the street and find any more crime. Not until the next financial year anyway….”

Hathaway goes on to say: “Now attach the idea of bonuses to this. The fakery becomes cash fraud.”

This fact was acknowledged by the Daily Mail in March, 2011. They reported on a “scheme which has enabled most Chief Constables to collect five-figure bonuses of 15% on top of their salaries.” In June, 2013, the Daily Mail further reported that one Chief Constable was paid a “24,000 pound ‘honorarium’ for cutting crime.”

The December 5, 2009 edition of the UK Telegraph described some of the “tricks” used by the police to “fiddle” crime statistics. These were uncovered by retired Detective Chief Inspector Dr. Rodger Patrick. Patrick did the research in the course of obtaining his PhD degree. On the basis of Patrick’s research, The Telegraph described techniques called “cuffing,” “stitching,” “skewing,” and “nodding.”

Home Secretary Theresa May has dodged questions on police numbers while Police Minister Nick Herbert has said numbers are not the best measure of success against crime.

Patrick stated: “The academics call this ‘gaming’ but police officers would call it fiddling the figures, massaging the books or, the current favourite term, ‘good housekeeping’. It is a bit like the police activities that we all thought stopped in the 1970s.”

According to The Telegraph, “In one case, an offender shot at another man at close range but missed and broke a window behind his target. The offense was recorded as criminal damage rather than attempted murder.”

The article further quotes Simon Reed, vice-chairman of the Police Federation, which represents front line officers:

“This research demonstrates that senior officers are directing and controlling widespread manipulation of crime figures. The public are misled, politicians can claim crime is falling and chief officers are rewarded with performance-related bonuses.”

These “targets,” or performance goals, come straight from the Home Office. In July, 2008, then-Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, said that targets would be eliminated. That must not have happened, because in June, 2010, Home Secretary Theresa May announced that targets were abolished.

But again, that must not have occurred.

A 122-page report published in March, 2011, entitled Crime of the Century: A Chilling Look at Crime Statistics, Police Recorded Crime & Offences Brought to Justice in the UK, stated the following: “The fact that over 30 of the 43 forces have retained performance targets scrapped by Theresa May is an indication of size and nature of the problem.”

With police encouraged to work to these targets by senior officers who are paid to achieve acceptable figures, it’s no wonder crime appears to be under control.

Early on in the report, the authors posed this pointed question:

“What if the truth is that crime didn’t fall at all—that it was only the statistics that fell, and in fact the illusion of falling crime was the biggest crime of them all?”

About the authors: Dr. Paul Gallant and Dr. Joanne D. Eisen practice optometry and dentistry, respectively, on Long Island, NY. They have collaborated on firearm politics for the past 20 years, and are Senior Fellows at the Independence Institute in Denver, CO. Alan J. Chwick is currently the Managing Coach of the Freeport Junior Club (FJC), at the Freeport NY Revolver & Rifle Association, Freeport, NY. Sherry Gallant has collaborated in their writing for the past few years, and has participated in the writing activities of her husband over the past 20 years.

3 thoughts on “Special Investigation: The Biggest Crime of Them All, Gaming the UK Crime Rate”

This is BS One last time: the handgun ban had NOTHING to do with rising(or falling) crime rates in the UK. There were very few handgun owners in the UK in 1996, perhaps 30,000 & the number of times a privately held handgun was used to prevent a crime was zero. I happen to LIVE in the UK & a long term “gun nut” & it grieves me to see BS like this being produced as fact.

PS That Piers “Scumbag” Morgan is a rabid gun & freedom hater in no way reflects the views of the rest of the UK.